Breaking Down The Thunder’s Subtle Yet Pivotal Offseason Thus Far

Given that the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals and were set to carry all 15 of that roster’s players under contract into the 2025-26 season, the expectation was that it would be a relatively quiet offseason. That’s been the case relative to many other teams, who have been busy making splashy trades and signing pieces in free agency. Still, it’s been a quietly productive early part of the offseason for Oklahoma City.

In the first 10 days following Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City has actually been quite busy. Sustaining success means never slowing down and continually finding ways to enhance a team’s chances of winning in the future.

Here’s a recap of what the Thunder has accomplished in the first week and a half of the offseason:

2025 NBA Draft: Landing Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer

It started with the 2025 NBA Draft, which brought two new players to Oklahoma City. Thomas Sorber was selected with the No. 15 overall selection, followed by Brooks Barnhizer at No. 44 overall. Sorber will be signed to a standard rookie deal as part of the 15-man roster, while Barnhizer is expected to be on a two-way contract.

The 2025 NBA Draft also included a trade for the Thunder, as Oklahoma City flipped the No. 24 pick to the Sacramento Kings. In return, the Thunder received a 2027 San Antonio Spurs first-round pick from the Kings, protected 1-16, via the Kings. That means if the Spurs’ pick ends up being 17-30 in that draft, it will convey to the Thunder. If not, then OKC will get a pair of second-round picks in the 2027 NBA Draft instead.

It was a productive draft for the Thunder, landing a promising young center, a hard-nosed wing and swapping a first-round pick for one in the future.

Clearing Space: Dillon Jones Traded Away

Again, Barnhizer is expected to sign a two-way deal with the Thunder, meaning he won’t take up one of the team’s 15 roster spots. But a spot did need to be opened up for Sorber, which means a difficult decision had to be made. As such, Oklahoma City traded Dillon Jones and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Colby Jones, who was immediately waived. This was simply a move to open a spot for Sorber.

Bigger picture, it took a second-round pick as a sweetener, along with Jones, to make this happen. He was selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft after the Thunder traded five second-round picks to acquire the selection to take Jones. Six second-round picks later, he’s now in Washington just a year later, as Sorber’s roster spot has been opened. Jones certainly has some untapped upside, but deep championship rosters can become crowded, and this is a byproduct of that.

Fringe Pieces: New Deals for Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell

While primary pieces on any roster often get the most attention, depth is extremely important in the modern NBA. This is especially true in the regular season, as injuries occur and star players manage their minutes in preparation for deep playoff runs.

That’s why Oklahoma City’s two free agent moves to kick off free agency were so important. Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell had team options for the 2025-26 season, but the Thunder declined both of those to sign them to brand new contracts. This mitigates the risk of more complex signings a year from now, while also rewarding this pair of rotational pieces with more money over a longer period of time.

Mitchell’s new deal is worth nearly $9 million over three years, while Williams will get $24 million over that same span. These are the types of moves that often fly under the radar, but both of these players played key roles in the 2024-25 campaign for OKC and will likely continue to do so moving forward.

Offseason Hurdles: Wrist Surgery for Jalen Williams

During his phenomenal playoff run, it was evident that Jalen Williams was dealing with a wrist injury. Not only was the tape on his wrist indicative of that, but the way he grabbed at it during certain moments gave reason to believe it was bothering him.

That was further quantified on Monday, as Thunder GM Sam Presti announced that Williams suffered a wrist injury toward the end of the regular season that required surgery, but he played through it in the postseason.

The Thunder then provided an official update on Tuesday, signaling that Williams underwent a successful procedure to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist and that he will be re-evaluated in approximately 12 weeks.

As such, Williams will be sidelined for the vast majority of the offseason, if not all of it. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season, but a slow start could be expected. It’s his shooting wrist, so this will be an interesting storyline to follow in the coming months.

Face of the Franchise: Signing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to an Extension

In a mutually beneficial deal, franchise superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Thunder on Tuesday morning. He inked a four-year, $285 million super maximum contract extension, making him the highest annual salary for a player in the history of the league on a deal that will have him under contract through the 2030-31 season.

This was the first domino to fall in Oklahoma City, ensuring long-term success. It’s not often that generational talents land in small markets, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s commitment to the Thunder is extremely important. There’s no guarantee that more titles are won with him at the helm, but OKC should always have a chance as long as he’s with the franchise.